Aug 11 – Hermit Kingdom: Smooth Succession Or Anarchy?

Fresh from a ten-day visit to North Korea, Glyn Ford and Irina Kalashnikova will report on the latest situation in Pyongyang, looking at the state of the economy and the reform process, the nuclear stand-off with the United States, and future prospects for the Six Party Talks and the leadership succession.

Mr Ford will show that a smooth succession is in Pyongyang’s interest – and that of all its neighbours, near and far. The alternative? Riots, anarchy, hunger and a ‘shotgun’ re-unification.

But this transition will depend on appropriate preparations by Pyongyang’s neighbours — and there is little sign of these yet, Mr Ford notes.

Photojournalist Irina Kalashnikova will show pictures of North Korea which she has been given rare access to shoot.

DATE: Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
TIME: 7.30pm
VENUE: European Union – Delegation of the European Commission to China (venue details at end)
RSVP to fcccadmin@gmail.com to ensure entrance through security check
BRING passport/ID card and FCCC membership card
ENTRANCE: free to members, 50 rmb on the door to non-members

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
GLYN FORD published ‘North Korea on the Brink; Struggle for Survival’ last year. The book has since been published in Japanese and Korean. A Chinese version is in the works.

He is an East Asia specialist in the European Parliament, with a particular interest in North Korea. Over the past decade, Mr Ford has been a frequent visitor to North Korea and has hosted North Korean delegations to the EU several times.

IRINA KALASHNIKOVA and Mr Ford will publish ‘The North Koreans’, an annotated picture book of Pyongyang’s people in autumn this year. www.IrinaKalashnikova.com